NEW YORK (AP) – All-Star Jason Bay drove in three runs and Paul Maholm held the slumping New York Mets in check for six innings, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 11-1 rout Monday night.

Bay hit a two-run double in Pittsburgh’s five-run seventh, and Ronny Paulino and Nate McLouth hit back-to-back home runs to start the eighth.

Paulino finished with three hits and the Pirates have scored 41 runs in their last five games.

The Mets put the leadoff hitter on in four innings against Maholm (3-7) but could only score one run against the left-hander, who struck out three and walked three. The first two batters reached in the fourth and fifth but the Mets failed to score in both innings.

Carlos Beltran’s sacrifice fly in the third inning gave the Mets a 1-0 lead but the Pirates pushed across three runs in the fifth to take the lead.

With the bases loaded and two out, Jose Bautista got the Pirates’ third walk of the inning from John Maine (0-2) to tie it at 1. Jack Wilson then singled to left to drive in Paulino and Maholm scored when Cliff Floyd had trouble picking up the ball.

Bautista and Jeromy Burnitz hit RBI singles in the seventh and Freddy Sanchez added a sacrifice fly. Bay singled in a run in the eighth and finished with three RBIs.

Maine, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game, allowed three runs and three hits in 4 2-3 innings for the Mets. Long reliever Darren Oliver was scheduled to start but the Mets switched gears and called up Maine so they could keep their rotation and bullpen in place for their final eight games before the All-Star break.

Pedro Martinez was originally scheduled to start the series opener against the Pirates but was pushed back because of a sore hip. The Mets aren’t sure if Martinez will start again before the break but manager Willie Randolph said he isn’t concerned about his star right-hander.

“When he’s ready he’ll let me know,” Randolph said.

Oliver threw 1 1-3 scoreless innings in relief of Maine but the Pirates roughed up Chad Bradford and Pedro Feliciano for eight runs and 10 hits over two innings.

Notes: Mets RHP Alay Soler was sent down to Norfolk to make room for Maine. Soler complained Monday about some tightness in his right calf and will be examined by a doctor before he reports to Norfolk. … Pirates INF Jose Hernandez has a stiff back and is day to day. … Mets LHP Tom Glavine, Tuesday’s scheduled starter, needs one win to tie Bert Blyleven for 24th place on the career wins list with 287 victories. … 1B Sean Casey doubled in the first inning to give the Pirates at least one extra-base hit in 53 straight games. … Floyd made a nice sliding catch in the sixth and seventh to take a hit away from Jose Castillo each time.

AP-ES-07-03-06 2220EDT